Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice

I'm forgetting now. In Afghanistan, are we in control of the country, or did we help them establish a democracy? Which is it?
The Afghan government has alarmed human rights groups by approving a plan to reintroduce a Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the body which the Taliban used to enforce its extreme religious doctrine.

The proposal, which came from the country's Ulema council of clerics, has been passed by the cabinet of President Hamid Karzai and will now go before the Afghan parliament. Fury as Karzai plans return of Taliban's religious police

I'm eager to see who wants to post a comment saying they don't think this sounds like a good idea.
Under the Taliban the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice became notorious for its brutal imposition of the Taliban's codes of behaviour.

Religious police patrolled the streets, beating those without long enough beards and those failing to attend prayers five times a day. Widows suffered particular hardship because of the diktat that women be accompanied by a male relative when out of their homes, an impossibility for thousands of women widowed during decades of war.

We can be so proud that our victory in Afghanistan has brought democratic reform as well as the return of prosperity to their ... agriculture ... business.

5 Comments:

Blogger Orin Ryssman said...

Jim writes,

I'm forgetting now. In Afghanistan, are we in control of the country, or did we help them establish a democracy? Which is it?

I know Jim, I know...it has been nearly 5 years and it is so easy to forget, so how about a refresher course?

We invaded Taliban government of Afghanistan because they used their sovereignty to protect al-Qaeda and Osama bin-Laden after the attacks of September 11th, 2001. We did give them an opportunity to turn over those responsible for 9/11, but they choose not to comply. Since the attacks of 9/11 clearly constituted an act of war upon the United States, absent cooperation from the Taliban govt, the US was left with no other choice but to attack and invade.

Jim writes, quoting The Independent,

The Afghan government has alarmed human rights groups by approving a plan to reintroduce a Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the body which the Taliban used to enforce its extreme religious doctrine.

The proposal, which came from the country's Ulema council of clerics, has been passed by the cabinet of President Hamid Karzai and will now go before the Afghan parliament.


The history of humankind has found that freedom is a terrible burden that most like to escape...what better way than to have a "department" that will promote "virtue" while at the same time preventing "vice"?

Now, before anyone gets apoplectic over the above comments, please be assured that I do not espouse such a view...I am merely recognizing that is a POV that is dominant among those fearful of changes modernity has brought.

Jim writes,

I'm eager to see who wants to post a comment saying they don't think this sounds like a good idea.

Ok, I will...I do not think this is a good idea...in fact, I think it is a foolish idea. In order for anyone to be judged virtuous, they must have the opportunity to do vice (or that which is wrong). A person forced to do what is considered right is not virtuous because it is unknown whether they would choose that, absent force, on their own.

The Independent,

Under the Taliban the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice became notorious for its brutal imposition of the Taliban's codes of behaviour.

Religious police patrolled the streets, beating those without long enough beards and those failing to attend prayers five times a day. Widows suffered particular hardship because of the diktat that women be accompanied by a male relative when out of their homes, an impossibility for thousands of women widowed during decades of war.


And no mention of all the centuries old Buddhist statues that were destroyed for having been the creation of the Infidel?

News flash Jim: Afghanistan has been for some time now, and it is likely to be for some time to come, a primitive society (by Western standards).

Jim writes,

We can be so proud that our victory in Afghanistan has brought democratic reform as well as the return of prosperity to their ... agriculture ... business.

I know, I know...such talk was seriously premature. If I had my way, I would set-up an authoritarian style government, a Leviathan if you will (else life is likely to continue to be "solitary, brutish, nasty and short" - even more than under the Taliban, if one can imagine that!).

Yes, yes...and then there are those Poppy fields...well, on NPR Tuesday morning I heard on Marketplace, The Morning Report, that there are attempts under way to assist rug makers in Afghanistan in learning how to market their rugs on the international market. Apparently, to date, rugs made in Afghanistan were finished in neighboring Pakistan where the profitable mark up on the rugs took place, leaving those in Afghanistan only a pittance for their efforts.

I am satisfied with the invasion and overthrow of the Taliban government in Afghanistan if for no other reason than to show any other country considering the same course of action the end result.

July 19, 2006 7:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2006
Your Taliban At Work
JimK
“The KKK describe themselves as Christians
And as for comparing gay groups to NAMBLA, they are simply two different things, that's why I don't think they should be compared”

I have reported where the Nazis supported certain groups involved in our sex-ed controversy here in Montgomery County, but that was a careful reporting of facts that needed to be on the record.”


Well for the Record Nambla describe them as Homosexual. And have had a long history with the gay rights movement. The KKK has a long history with the Democratic Party. “Birth of a Nation” a movie about the KKK was praised by Democratic President Woodrow Wilson. So we can call the Democrats KKK as in Robert KKK Byrd.
Nambla Supports TTF in Montgomery County.
Just for the record.

July 19, 2006 2:11 PM  
Blogger andrea said...

Anon-
"NAMBLA supports TTF." Yes, a person like you unable to make a real argument makes stupid childish statements. Not that we don't expect such from you -but really, grow up!

July 19, 2006 3:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I kind of agree with Anrea, here. Obviously, no one likes KKK, Nazis, Taliban or NAMBLA and just bringing them up at all is just kind of distasteful. Jim and New Anon (either seperately or together), please desist.

H.A.

July 19, 2006 3:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andrear I would expect nothing less of you or anything more I have yet to see you add anything that would be considered intelligent or thought provoking. You are a silly girl. And you say foolish things. Is there something that TTF supports that would not be supported by NAMBLA? If so what would that be? And please tell me what you think the age of consent should be.

July 22, 2006 10:11 AM  

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